Dr. Alex Iantaffi talks with Mel Cassidy about relationships, non-monogamy, queerness, the power of somatic practices, and love on the path towards collective liberation. 

Mel Cassidy is a somatic relationship coach committed to the path of liberatory love and rewilding intimacy. They specialize in working with queer and questioning humans (and those who love them) exploring post-monogamous relationships—with a focus on polyamory, solo polyamory, and relationship anarchy. They are of Irish, Greek, and Khorakhane Romani descent and have lived in 3 countries, across 3 continents. They currently live in British Columbia, Canada, and work with clients and students around the world. Their first book, Radical Relating, A Queer and Polyamory-Informed Guide to Love Beyond the Myth of Monogamy, is published by North Atlantic Books.

Find out more about Mel and their work at the following links: 

Website: radicalrelating.ca

Social Media: @radicalrelating on IG/FB/Substack/Insight Timer

More on the Radical Relating Book:
 www.radicalrelating.ca/book

Instagram: GenderStories
Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

'Profound and vulnerable. An essential gift for all of us that relate' - Anne Mauro

What do we mean when we say 'relationship'?
How do we separate our needs and desires from norms and expectations?
How can we approach our relationships with mutuality, care and compassion?

This down-to-earth guide is the ultimate companion for anybody who wants to examine their place in the world -- how we relate to ourselves, and others.

With considerations of historical, cultural, and developmental contexts; explorations of relationship diversity as it manifests in queerness, the ace and aro spectrum, non-monogamy and neurodivergence ; and a look towards deeper, compassionate, interdependent ways to relate - this book will help people of all ages, backgrounds and identities explore their relational world.

Order a copy of the Book: How to Understand Your Relationships: A Practical Guide

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Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Anne Mauro (she/her) is a Licensed Couples and Family therapist, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapist (AASECT) certified sex therapist, sexuality educator, sex therapy supervisor, and American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) clinical supervisor. Her private practice is nestled in the interwebs on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples in Washington State. She has two publications: More Than Ebony and Ivory: Complexities of sex therapy with interracial couples, can be found in An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy: Centering the lives of indigenous, racialized, and people of color and The Colonization of Black Sexualities: A clinical guide to relearning and healing. Anne is in continued service to the sexuality community by serving as the AASECT Western Representative to the nominating committee.  

Links: 

www.annemauro.com 

https://www.routledge.com/The-Colonization-of-Black-Sexualities-A-Clinical-Guide-to-Relearning-and/Mauro/p/book/9781032233680

https://www.instagram.com/iamannemauro/

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Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

MAEVE CHEVONNE DUVALLY 

Maeve is a transgender multi-cultural communications specialist, storyteller and LGBTQ+ advocate.  She spent the bulk of her career as a journalist and corporate spokesperson, most recently at Goldman Sachs. 

After a lifetime of working for large companies, she now consults for corporations and other organizations on communications strategy and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Maeve also mentors transgender people, is a public speaker and a frequent subject of press interviews on LGBTQ+ workplace issues. 

She was a managing director in corporate communications at Goldman Sachs over an 18-year career. Prior to joining Goldman, Maeve worked in media relations at Merrill Lynch.  

Before that, she was a financial journalist and editor at Bridge News for nearly 15 years with stints in Tokyo, Washington D.C. and New York. She spent ten formative years in Japan in the 1980s and is fluent in the language.  

Maeve serves on the boards of GLAAD; the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship, a journalism non-profit; and Connecticut-based LGBTQ+ health provider Anchor Health Initiative. 

She earned a B.A. in English from Providence College in 1983 and was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism School in 1994. 

A published author, her memoir, “Maeve Rising,” debuted through Sibylline Press in August 2023. 

 https://www.instagram.com/becomingmaeve/
https://www.maeveduvally.com/

Instagram: GenderStories
Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Renée Yoxon is a queer, nonbinary, and disabled gender-affirming voice teacher with a passion for voice education, creativity, and vocal curiosity. Since 2010, they have taught thousands of students how to love their voice. Their strength as a teacher is explaining complicated concepts in plain language that anyone can understand, as well as anticipating student problems before they occur. They are the creator of a suite of online courses that provide concise and easy-to-follow trans voice education to trans and nonbinary people all over the world. Renée is a creative thinker, and a deep listener, and their favourite thing in the world is helping people just like you to reach their voice goals. Find them at reneeyoxon.com 

Links: 

http://reneeyoxon.com 

http://tiktok.com/@reneeyoxon 

http://instagram.com/reneeyoxon 

http://youtube.com/reneeyoxon 

http://facebook.com/reneeyoxon 

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Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Oliver Radclyffe is part of the new wave of transgender writers unafraid to address the complex nuances of transition, examining the places where gender identity, sexual orientation, feminist allegiance, social class and family history overlap. His work has appeared in The New York Times and Electric Literature. He currently lives on the Connecticut coast where he is raising his four children. He has two books: ADULT HUMAN MALE, a monograph, released by Unbound Edition Press in 2023, and FRIGHTEN THE HORSES, a memoir, forthcoming from Roxane Gay Books in 2024. 
 

Preorder Frighten the Horses: https://bookshop.org/p/books/frighten-the-horses/20490972?ean=9780802163158 

https://oliverradclyffe.substack.com/ 

https://www.oliverradclyffe.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/oliverradclyffe/ 

https://linktr.ee/OliverRadclyffe 

Instagram: GenderStories
Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Eli Lawliet, Ph.D., (he/him) is the dreamer and weaver of The Gender Doula. In addition to a decade of experience researching trans healthcare, law, policy, and history, he has formal training as a full spectrum doula, breathwork facilitator, and tarot reader, as well as many years of surviving the world of poverty wages and retail work. The broad scope of his experience directly informs the equally broad spectrum of his work as The Gender Doula. Eli has been seeing clients since January of 2020 and has worked with hundreds of trans folks nationally and internationally in sessions, classes, and workshops. Though he was born in Oklahoma and raised in Missouri, Eli currently lives in Los Angeles (Gabrieliño-Tongva, Chumash, & Kizh land) with his partner, three cats, a dog, and four snakes. 

Website: https://www.thegenderdoula.com/ 

TikTok, IG, FB: @TheGenderDoula 

All links:  https://linktr.ee/TheGenderDoula 

Instagram: GenderStories
Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Justine Mastin, LMFT (she/her) is a pop culture psychology expert and so much more. She literally wrote the book on Therapeutic Fanfiction—Starship Therapise: Using Therapeutic Fanfiction to Rewrite Your Life—and she offered support to healers in The Grieving Therapist: Caring for Yourself and Your Clients When it Feels Like the End of the World. Justine is proud to nurture future therapists as an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor and educator. You can find out more about Justine at http://justinemastin.com/ & follow her on Instagram & TikTok: @mindbodyfandom 

You can also follow the links below to find out more about parts of Justine’s work mentioned in this episode! 

Fearless Leader: YogaQuest 

Podcast co-host: Starship Therapise 

Podcast co-host: Dark Side of the Mat 

TEDx Speaker: Harnessing the Healing Power of Therapeutic Fanfiction 

Instagram: GenderStories
Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Dean FM (Dean-Fraser Milford) is a Boston Massachusetts based non-binary rapper, activist and influencer. 

His music encapsulates eclectic thoughts that scat over percussive rhythms and exotic sounds. His performances exude drag culture and satiric expression. In 2016, Dean released his debut EP “Watch It”, which received local and national coverage. In 2020, Dean FM released his EP entitled “SISSY.” The music video for his lead single “Bottom Bit” shines a light on the exploitation of prostitution. 

Dean FM stands for compassion, courage, and equality. In his activism, he supports the awareness and acceptance of gender neutrality. He refuses to deny his true identity — identifying himself with both he and her pronouns. Dean also advocates for the awareness of minority mental health and the prevention of animal abuse. 

As an influencer, Dean utilizes his platforms to further promote his art and advocacy work. 

 https://deanfmofficial.com/ 

Instagram: GenderStories
Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

Damon Constantinides, PhD, LCSW, CST

Damon is a queer trans man and sex nerd who loves being a dad, teaching and talking about queer and trans pleasure, and growing plants as a way to connect with magic and the sacredness of the earth. He is trained as both a clinical social worker and a sex therapist and has worked for more than 20 years in the fields of trans and queer health. He owns a private therapy and coaching practice where he offers virtual groups and services to trans and queer folks all over the world.

Damon is a trainer for the sex therapy certificate program at the California Institute of Integral Studies and an adjunct progressor at Widener University. He is also the co-author of the book Sex Therapy for Erotically Marginalized Clients: Nine Principles of Clinical Support and his writing can also be found in the newest edition of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves. You can learn more about his work at www.drdamonc.com or on his IG @dr.damonc.

Links:

Individual and Relationship Therapy and Coaching -  www.drdamonc.com

Writing - www.drdamonc.com/writing

Trans Masc Sexual Pleasure Program - www.drdamonc.com/coaching

Trans Masc 30+ Connections Group - www.drdamonc.com/coachingsupportgroup

Queer Sexual Pleasure Program - www.drdamonc.com/qsp

IG @Damon Constantinides 

IG @wildpansycoaching

FB www.facebook.com/drdamonc

Instagram: GenderStories
Hosted by Alex Iantaffi
Music by Maxwell von Raven
Gender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub